Even monkeys fall out of trees

If you're a fan of Radio 4's long running science/comedy show The Infinite Monkey Cage you'll know that Robin Ince and Professor Brian Cox take it upon themselves each week to dismantle the universe one piece at a time, atom by atom, molecule by molecule; sometimes scientifically, sometimes not so, and, in true Reithian style, educate inform and entertain both scientists and non-scientists alike. It's great radio presented by two passionate people; I love passionate people.

On Tuesday night Ince was flying solo: performing an intimate bookshop* gig where he waxed lyrical for  an hour or so about not just his books but also many, many others he's fallen in love with over the years: everything from Cold Fish Soup (Adam Farrer's  beautifully written memoir about living in a down at heel East Yorkshire town - which was also, coincidentally, a recent read in our local book club) going all the way back to W.N.P. Barbellion's Journal of a Disappointed Man published in 1919. I've already put out my feelers out to snag myself a copy - hopefully a 'blue Penguin', pictured below.

Like Bob Dylan, Robin has been on tour since, I don't know, forever. If you haven't seen him yet then it can only be a matter of time till he pops up in a town near you**. And when he does, you really should go and see him. He's a lovely bloke. And very funny. Also, it transpires, he loves my favourite brewery building. Yes, that one. (He'd seen it on the way to the gig and was then confronted by a brace of my framed photographs of it hanging in the shop.)  

...

* Not just any old bookshop. Our local bookshop; a huge thank you to Tim for organising this and may other readings and book signings at the best bookshop in Nottingham.

** His Bibliomaniac book is a tale of his UK journey made entirely on public transport where he pulled in north of 100 bookshops)